International launch of Standards for Casualty Recording: Putting principles into practice

On Wednesday 23rd November 2016, 17:00-18:30, the ICRC  and Every Casualty Worldwide will launch the first internationally produced Standards for Casualty Recording at the Humanitarium in Geneva. The event will present and explain these standards, and will include an opportunity to discuss their promotion, recognition and uptake in the international community, and how this may be supported by states and other actors.

Background

In the wake of protracted conflicts such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia and others, the need for better and more comprehensive data on conflict deaths has been increasingly recognised by the international community, as reflected in the UN Secretary General's report on the protection of civilians and in statements by member states at the Security Council, as well as most recently at the World Humanitarian Summit. Casualty recording is the process of systematically and continuously recording deaths in armed conflict. This practice can more clearly specify the causes of harm to civilians caught in conflict, help in their avoidance and mitigation, and works against the dehumanisation and disappearance of victims from collective memory.

There is growing recognition of casualty recording as a key element of initiatives for the protection of civilians as well as its relevance to other conflict and post-conflict issues. However it is yet to be consistently applied across the world's conflicts. To help address this gap, Every Casualty Worldwide, a charitable NGO operating in Europe but with a global focus, has led and coordinated an international process of developing and refining Standards for Casualty Recording. These have been produced with the input of a working group which included 16 casualty recording organisations active in a range of conflict situations, along with key end-users such as the ICRC, various UN agencies and the International Criminal Court.

Event details

The launch meeting will present and explain these standards, and will include an opportunity to discuss their promotion, recognition and uptake in the international community, and how this may be supported by states and other actors.

The event will begin with welcoming remarks from Christine Beerli, ICRC Vice President, and will be chaired by Dr. Hugo Slim, ICRC Head of Policy, who will also provide closing remarks. The standards will be introduced by the Co-Directors of Every Casualty, followed by contributions from key humanitarian and human rights organisations, including those who were within and those outside the process of drafting these standards.

The panel discussion will be followed by a drinks reception in the ICRC Cafeteria.

Please register below if you wish to attend the event at the Humanitarium.